Chapter 36

After all the nightmares Lane had been through thus far, the trip to Saffron was surprisingly uneventful. Mostly it was incredibly dull, with a few brief flashes of fear when the meal-cart arrived and she had to hide her companions in a hurry.

Other than that, the trip was downright peaceful. If Korina was there, she probably would've chided her for not getting more practice with her powers. But Lane wasn't sure she could get the human body back if she lost it, and she wasn't going to experiment now.

When this is all over, I can take as much time as I like to learn my limits.

Assuming Korina doesn't kill me for blowing up her house.

The trip took over a day, with a few hours spent waiting in busy train stations and a few transfers along the way. Lane kept both Pokémon tucked away inside her suitcase, and wasn't stopped.

She cracked the bag open as soon as they were inside their final cabin, the one that would take them all the way to Saffron. This was a larger train, which meant smaller accommodations, but she could do without the bed. She had plenty of time to nap already.

"This would be way easier if we had a few pokéballs," she said conversationally. "You wouldn't have to hide in a suitcase that way." She removed Lopunny's from her belt, though in the cramped quarters she didn't release the rabbit Pokémon. She'd take up half the available space.

"Not a chance," Dominic said, buzzing angrily out of the suitcase to hover in the air in front of her. "Just because you're brave enough to use them for transportation doesn't mean I am." Dominic touched the edge of the sphere with one hand, then pulled back quickly. "If we live through this, see it as a reason to practice your teleportation. Liz and I will never be able to look human, that's a Lane thing."

"You don't have to be such a pessimist," Elisa said. "We don't know that for sure. If she can do it, I dunno why we couldn't do it with a little more practice."

"Because I know how our powers work," Dominic said. "Time traveler, remember? Don't worry, Liz. You're always content if you've got one of these within reach, which is why Lane always wears one in her hair."

He pointed at the flower, which despite its pot and plastic shield, had been a little battered by the trip. It was a good thing they had all those seeds.

You'll probably want to use that before we arrive in Saffron."

"Why?" she asked, hopping into Lane's lap. "Do you know Mewtwo? I thought he was gonna kill us."

"Like hell I know him," he muttered. "I stay away, like any sane person.

The only one who has anything nice to say about him is—" He stopped, expression glazing over for a moment. "Oh."

Lane turned towards him. "If there's something you know, you should tell me. I'm the one who has to convince him to help us, not you. Please share it with the class."

"Everyone's afraid of him," Dominic said. He spoke slowly, as though choosing every word carefully. "Except your mother. They knew each other."

"He was going to make the world end," Lane supplied. "Caused some kinda apocalypse or whatever. I guess maybe she stopped him? Also there were humans involved, but she never told me the details. I…" She glared suddenly. "I told you to stop calling her that. She's not my mom."

Dominic didn't even have the grace to look apologetic. "Of the thousands of twists and dead-ends in the timeline I've seen, that's one outcome I see as entirely unlikely." He levitated the cushions from her couch into a pile, then settled atop them in an almost human sitting position.

"Well, my teacher always had complex emotions when she talked about Mewtwo. It was kinda like a crush? She really wanted his attention, but never actually said so." She sank down into the seat. "If he helps save her, she's gonna get way more awkward about him."

"I'm glad you're so sure about this working out," Elisa said. "I'm still trying to figure out how we find him. Are you even sure he's in Saffron?"

She winced. "The Historical Society is. I think the stories line up."

"So you'll ask the Historical Society where to find him?" Dominic asked, raising an eyebrow. "That seems optimistic."

The door banged loudly, three rhythmic knocks. Lane flushed, eyes widening. The sound echoed in her ears, and she barely managed to muster a feeble, "Y-yes?"

"Miss, can I have a word with you?" The speaker was brusque, authoritative. At least he stopped banging the door.

Lane stood, putting her body between the door and the couch. Though of course the door was still shut. She glanced out the dark window. The moon was rising slowly in the sky beyond, but it was still countryside out there. They hadn't reached Saffron City limits yet.

"Maybe," she said nervously. "Who are you?"

"Kanto Customs Enforcement," came the reply, without hesitation.

"Please open your door, miss. This will go much easier for all involved if you cooperate."

Shit. Bile rose in her throat, and Lane found herself wishing very much for a little of that “fancy mind stuff” her older self could apparently do. But Dominic's word that she could do something wasn't enough for her to start using attacks on random people—least of all Kanto policemen.

She peeked out the viewfinder, but found it entirely black. Should've made sure that worked earlier, she thought, one hand resting on the handle.

What would Korina do in a situation like this?

Probably make the policeman into a kitten, unhelpfully.

Lane opened the door. Several people stood there, not one of them looking like customs. Lane moved to slam the door closed, retreating into the opening—but a boot came through it, and it rebounded into her face. She stumbled back towards the bench, trying to shield her face with one arm.

It did her no good. Someone caught her by the arm, dragging her out into the hallway with incredible force. She opened her mouth to protest, maybe to scream for the conductor—then she felt something.

The man standing over her was unremarkable in many ways—an average build, nondescript suit, plain face. She felt anger boil around him, connected directly to the object in his hand. A gun, pointed at her chest. "You will be civil with me," he said, barely calm. "You will do as you are told, or you will not get off this train. Am I understood?"

She nodded, pulling her legs up against her chest. She looked around the train, taking in as much information as she could.

There were five people in the car with her, every one of them wearing the same plain business attire, with nothing to suggest they were working together. Except of course that every one of them wore simple black masks over their faces, with three holes unevenly cut for eyes and mouth. Not all were men, but all looked like they could easily tear out of their suits if they wanted. A few had bulges in their clothes, though for pokéballs or firearms she couldn't tell.

One stood near the connector to either direction, gloved hands on the knob. Two of the others stomped into her quarters, while this last remained with his weapon trained on her.

She couldn't read his mind, not exactly. But his hostility and ambition were impossible to miss. Not only that, but he didn't view her as particularly important. He was focused on the cabin behind her, as his associates moved inside to search it.

"You were seen in the company of an extremely valuable Pokémon," he said, tone flat. "Obviously stolen. We're going to return it to its proper owner."

Can I make my powers work like this? She should've spent more of the trip practicing. Maybe she could get a bubble in time to stop that gun from killing her. Or maybe not. This would be a great time for the conductor to show up. Don't they ever look at the security cameras?

Lane looked up into the corner, where a camera was angled just right to give a clear view of the hallway. It was covered in a black, reflective spot. Paint so wet it still sparkled. The other cabin doors were all open to her either side…

how had they managed that? Where were the other passengers?

There was a clatter in the room beyond, and the thugs emerged, tossing Lane's bag casually to the floor in front of them. Its contents spilled out into the hall. The flower rolled to one side, crushed against the wall. Seeds scattered everywhere, and a thousand Pokédollars worth of small bills fluttered through the air.

"Nothing," said the brute, a man at least six feet tall, and nearly as wide.

The suit he wore strained at the shoulders, fighting its own losing battle to keep from tearing off his body. "It's not there."

The man loomed over her a moment, leering. He reached down, grasping firmly onto her belt with one hand. She froze, body going suddenly rigid. She flopped back against the floor, reaching vainly for some way to fight back. But she couldn't muster the strength.

He unfastened the belt, yanking it free of her skirt. But then he turned from her, holding it up and removing the single pokéball that hung there.

"Curious. You displayed it so openly before, but now you try to hide it? If you acquire common sense halfway here, it's too late." He tossed the pokéball to one of his companions, dropping the belt to the floor in front of her. "Don't try to follow us."

She should've kept her mouth shut. That was the smartest, safest choice.

But as Lane recovered, she wasn't feeling particularly smart. "That's a lopunny!" she squealed, managing to clamber to her feet. The skirt didn't actually need the belt to hold it up, that was just about Elisa's Pokémon. "She's not a legendary."

And she doesn't deserve what you'll do once you figure that out. Even miles away from training, Lane had heard the horror stories of the gray

"wonder trade" market. No one could say for sure where the Pokémon came from, though there were many stories about how unstable they were.

But some trainers didn't care where a Pokémon came from, if only they could help them win. The group stopped, then turned. Her attacker still had a gun in his hand, though it was no longer pointed directly at her.

They were heading towards the back of the train. Are they going to get off before we get to Saffron, somehow? They had to know she would run to the authorities as soon as they left. Even a little train like this would have a conductor who could call the city police, have someone waiting by the time they arrived.

"Are you sure about that, sweetheart?" He held out his free hand, and one of his cohorts tossed him the pokéball. He caught it, throwing it up and down once in his hand. "Tell me again, and be truthful. If you lie, you're an inconvenience."

"I'm telling the truth. That's a lopunny, and she's not even shiny."

The man made a groaning sound that was almost one word, not quite another. But two of his companions reacted. Each one produced a pokéball, and tossed it out onto the floor in front of them.

A hypno appeared, along with a bluish amphibian Pokémon she couldn't identify.

"This is the part where we find out if you're telling the truth," he said.

"And whether or not you live long enough to get off this train." He tossed the

pokéball up into the air. There was a flash of white light, and Lopunny appeared beside Lane. She spun, eyes confused and bewildered.

"Where is Elisa? What's happening?"

"Now that is interesting." Before Lopunny could react, he aimed the ball, and she vanished in a wave of red light. He tossed it casually onto the floor, just out of Lane's reach. "That leaves us with a bit of a conundrum, sweetheart.

I suggest you resolve my concerns, rapidly."